Foundation of the Abbey 1125 (≈ 1125)
Created by the Premonstrated under Royal Protection.
XIVe–XVe siècles
Period of decline
Period of decline XIVe–XVe siècles (≈ 1550)
Difficulties before the pre-show renaissance.
1738–1788
Reconstruction of buildings
Reconstruction of buildings 1738–1788 (≈ 1763)
East and north wings, pre-showed style.
1779–1782
Canal construction
Canal construction 1779–1782 (≈ 1781)
Hydraulic system and gardens.
XIXe siècle
Restoration by T. Ducos
Restoration by T. Ducos XIXe siècle (≈ 1865)
Neo-Gothic additions and permanent transformation.
1925
Registration of the chapel
Registration of the chapel 1925 (≈ 1925)
First historical monument protection.
1996
Total
Total 1996 (≈ 1996)
Listed buildings and gardens.
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui Aujourd'hui (≈ 2025)
Position de référence.
Heritage classified
Ruins of the chapel: inscription by decree of 23 December 1925 - All buildings; all the hydraulic system comprising: the canals, the edicles of protections of the sources and all the elements of the 19th century garden, including the romantic island with its pond, the caves and the bridge on the west-east canal (ca. 054 AC 7, 9 to 16 placedit La Bergerie, 19, 23 to 30 placedit Septfontaines): inscription by order of 2 December 1996
Key figures
Théodore Ducos - Minister of the Navy (Napoleon III)
Father of the purchaser-restaurant of the 19th.
T. Ducos - Owner-restaurant (11th century)
Transforms the abbey into a private residence.
Origin and history
The royal abbey Saint-Nicolas de Septfontaines, located in Andelot-Blancheville in the Haute-Marne, was founded in 1125 by the Premontrés, a reformed religious order. It soon enjoyed royal protection, but experienced difficulties in the 14th and 15th centuries before being reborn with the Premonstrated until the Revolution. Its buildings, rebuilt in the eighteenth century, reflect the strict architecture of order, with vestiges of medieval abbey and outbuildings.
In the 19th century, the abbey was acquired by T. Ducos, son of Théodore Ducos (minister of Napoleon III), who restored it and added neo-Gothic elements, such as the bell tower in the form of a ruin or the dovecote. The chapel was listed as historical monuments in 1925, followed by all buildings and hydraulic systems (channels, romantic gardens) in 1996. Today, the estate remains managed by its descendants.
The architecture of Septfontaines illustrates the transition between the Middle Ages and classical periods, with notable elements such as the vaulted gallery of the cloister, the 17th century staircase, or the church choir (XVIIth–XVIIIth). The canals, built between 1779 and 1782, and the 19th century landscape arrangements (islets, caves) bear witness to its evolution throughout the centuries.
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